Grimmas Posted April 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 75 - Hulk Hogan 2006 Ranking: 86 Points: 3155 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 4 # of Ballots: 78 Average Vote: 60.65 High Vote: 6 (Chris Powell) Low Vote: 100 Discussion Thread "He's the reason I became a lifelong fan. Charismatic. Amazing babyface, and even a good heel while in the nWo. Variety of opponents." TheU_2001 "Hogan mastered the Lawler type of comeback. No one understood how and when to play to the crowd as well as Hogan." Moonsault Marvin "Regardless of being one of the most recognizable pro wrestlers ever and the most popular mainstream wrestler in North America during the 1980s, he was a great in-ring performer as well. Especially his matches from the 1980s are still fun to watch." stunning_grover "AWA Run, Japan work. Grew too formulaic and too selfish to be ranked any higher." cubbmark "He also made matches feel BIGGER than imaginable. Mania III, Mania VI, Mania 18. I'm not talking about promos and hype packages, I'm talking about those early match moments. The staredowns. The genuine intensity. People think that's easy -- watching shit like Cena vs. The Rock shows you how much it isn't. Hogan does that stuff better than practically anyone. And it's a rare quality." Jerryvonkramer Recommended Matches: Hulk Hogan vs Nick Bockwinkel (AWA, 4/24/1983) Hulk Hogan vs Big Boss Man (WWF, Cage, 3/18/1989) Hulk Hogan vs The Rock (WWF WrestleMania X-8, 3/17/2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 74 - Atlantis 2006 Ranking: 94 Points: 3197 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 1 # of Ballots: 68 Average Vote: 54.04 High Vote: 6 (Frankensteiner) Low Vote: 95 Discussion Thread "Atlantis continues to have good matches in his long career and is one of the better trios wrestlers." Moonsault Marvin "One of the best babyfaces, flyers, and big match workers ever. " Elliott "As far as luchadors go I am big on Atlantis. He is just sooooo pretty. It's one of those occasions when pure mechanical talent matters a great deal to me, because his high flying and smoothness in the ring is amazing, I could watch him fly through the air for days. He's everything I want out of a masked tecnico." Jimmy Redman "He was a talented rookie when he first started getting put into a position where he could have great matches. The thing is that the great matches frequently involved tremendous wrestlers. When you watch Atlantis vs Satanico it's easy to imagine that he was some sort of prodigy but if you watch his match against El Faraón he looks exposed. El Faraón was a good wrestler in his own right but his leash on Atlantis wasn't as tight. Atlantis has moments of brilliance in that match but his hammy selling and awkward crowd interaction is too much for me. In the late 80s he really put it together. His selling became more subtle and his appeals to the crowd were a bit more assured. On top of that his offense became truly spectacular. He has some impressive flying offense in his 1983 tag with Santo but the stuff he was doing in 1988 was so much more precise. He's a great trios worker during this time but I wish I could see more of his singles performances. His 1988 match against Emilio Charles Jr. is a great workrate lucha match. In the 90s he toned down the highflying and improved his matwork. He was also lucky enough to have a number of programs against some of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His matches against Blue Panther and Villano III in particular are classics. I think I'll need to revisit some of his rudo stuff from the 2000s. I remember liking that heel turn match against Santo but I'm not sure if anything else holds up." Graham Crackers Recommended Matches: Atlantis vs Blue Panther (CMLL, 8/9/1991) Atlantis vs Villano III (CMLL, 3/17/2000) Atlantis vs Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL, 9/19/2014) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 73 - "Y2J" Chris Jericho 2006 Ranking: 84 Points: 3220 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 71 Average Vote: 55.65 High Vote: 16 (BackToBionic) Low Vote: 98 Discussion Thread "A wrestling craftsman who loves to sink his teeth into an angle and meld character, story, promo and match together into an opus. Really good TV worker, and versatile as hell between face and heel, singles and tags, main events and midcard, comedy and serious, young lion and ageing vet. Very long, varied and deep career. " Jimmy Redman "I think Jericho is the prototype for his generation, learning his craft journeyman-style and having the huge scene of the late 90's ready for him to explode. I feel he continues to be up there with anyone even today when he is at his best." Dave Musgrave "Good high-flyer, fired up babyface as a young wrestler. Developed into a great heel. Very diverse set of opponents." cubbymark Recommended Matches: Chris Jericho vs Eddie Guerrero (WCW Fall Brawl, 9/14/1997) Chris Jericho vs Shelton Benjamin (WWE Taboo Tuesday, 10/19/2004) Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio (WWE Bash, 6/28/2009) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 72 - Brian Pillman 2006 Ranking: 88 Points: 3275 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 1 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 86 Average Vote: 63.06 High Vote: 3 (Mando>Eddie) Low Vote: 100 Discussion Thread " I thought Pillman's babyface run from 89-92 was a tremendous run, that was hurt by WCW booking incompetence. Still there are few underdog babyfaces I can think of in modern times who I would rate clearly above Pillman from that stretch. Good in both tags and singles, good against big name stars like Flair/Luger or undercard acts like Norman/Rip Rogers, really great/underrated feud v. Windham, tons of fun matches against randoms like Buddy Landell, Scotty Flamingo, et., the Liger matches which I think hold up well, et, et, et. I don't think he was ever the same after he went heel, though he had good matches at that point too, and even as late as 95 could occasionally blow you away with something massive." Dylan Waco Recommended Matches: Brian Pillman, Sting, & Steiner Brothers vs Horsemen (War Games, WCW WrestleWar, 2/24/1991) Brian Pillman vs Jushin Liger (WCW SuperBrawl II, 2/29/1992) Brian Pillman vs Johnny B. Badd (WCW Fall Brawl, 9/17/1995) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 71 - Dick Togo 2006 Ranking: 98 Points: 3280 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 66 Average Vote: 51.30 High Vote: 12 (stunning_grover) Low Vote: 98 Discussion Thread "One of the best junior heavyweight wrestlers in the world for a period of about 20 years." stunning_grover "An absolute genius of pro wrestling and one of the most talented ever in terms of in-ring skill. He was arguably the MVP of the M-Pro Golden Era, and he quietly racked up a great portfolio of work through the 2000s too." Alan4L "One thing that I think helps his case a lot is that we have good matches of his from nearly every corner of the Earth. You can say "who cares, I care how good someone was where they worked most of the time" and that's fine, but the fact that Togo could have good to great matches in South America, Puerto Rico, the U.S., England, Finland, Germany, Japan, et matters to me because it shows he could (and did) make a go of it anywhere. " Dylan Waco Recommended Matches: Kaientai Deluxe vs Gran Hamada, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delphin, Gran Naniwa, Tiger Mask IV (M-Pro, 10/10/1996) Dick Togo vs Chris Hero (IWA-EC, 4/5/2006) Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda (DDT, 1/30/2011) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 70 - Yuki Ishikawa 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (174) Points: 3287 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 4 # of Ballots: 54 Average Vote: 40.22 High Vote: 6 (A Stock) Low Vote: 98 Discussion Thread "This is possibly more difficult for me to elaborate on than the other candidates in my top 10. Ishikawa created a wrestling aesthetic as a wrestler and as a booker/promoter/trainer that perfectly captures what I want from pro wrestling. I am talking about Battlarts but Ishikawa's ranking is just as dependent on his work for that promotion as it is for his ideas. As the top star of Battlarts Ishikawa is the straight man against a mash-up of wrestling styles ranging from shoot-style to high flying to garbage wrestling. Ishikawa essentially portrays a classic New Japan style wrestler (with a little shoot style mixed in) toughing it out against a variety of opponents. Some of those wrestlers are great but Ishikawa also excels at carrying rookies, crowbars, and stiffs to great matches. He may not have the deep back catalog of other nominated wrestlers but almost every Ishikawa match is a gem worth watching if you can stomach the violent striking and appreciate good matwork." A Stock "For my money the greatest of all of the greatest promotion's stars, Ishikawa can be summed up with one word: Violence. His series with Ikeda is legendary and he had great matches against every other man he faced. He looked like the best of all time more than anyone I could see although variety in the greater sense isn't a strong suit. Is still amazing today on the rare occasions he mixes it up." Dylan Harris Recommended Matches: Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda (BattlARTS, 9/1/1997) Yuki Ishikawa vs Alexander Otsuka (Big Mouth Loud, 9/11/2005) Yuki Ishikawa vs Carl Greco (BattlARTS, 6/9/2008) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 69 - Blue Panther 2006 Ranking: 32 Points: 3397 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 2 # of Ballots: 65 Average Vote: 48.77 High Vote: 7 Low Vote: 96 Discussion Thread "The man I think of when I think of lucha maestro's. I know Black Terry fits that for a lot of people but I have more exposure to Panther and prefer him." Dave Musgrave "The epitome of Lucha mat wrestling for me and really and truly my all time favorite wrestler. His longevity in great matches was what pushed him over the top for me, though I feel #9 might be a tad high to many. Unbelievable grappler and the honorable Blue Panther only needed more opportunities the last few years to move up even higher. " Dylan Harris "Where I've been especially impressed, however, is seeing him in different roles. He's tremendously effective when matched up with someone for a fiery/heated brawl, and almost amazingly so when he's there to do the comedy and shtick and character work, in that Fuerza role. I think he's also wrestled very well as an aged tecnico and transitioned strongly after losing the match to where he puts on strong performances with more emoting even if he's lost some of that mystique." Matt D Recommended Matches: Blue Panther vs Atlantis (CMLL, 8/9/1991) Blue Panther vs Villano V (CMLL, 9/19/2008) Blue Panther vs Solar (12/20/2015) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 68 - Kurt Angle 2006 Ranking: 80 Points: 3398 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 2 Top 10 Votes: 4 # of Ballots: 64 Average Vote: 48.36 High Vote: 3 (Derek C & BackToBionic) Low Vote: 100 Discussion Thread "Has frustrating tendencies, but is so overwhelmingly talented that when he's on, he's really on and capable of so much greatness. Great bumper and stooger, great base, good in tags, can work main events or TV, and has that effortless legit quality to him." Jimmy Redman "I love Angle, and love the way he works. I don't remember if it was here or someplace else, so if i'm repeating myself i'm sorry, but his pace & style is exactly what I want out of his character. He's the high school bully jock who never knows when to turn it off, and spikes volleyballs into girls faces in gym class. He's the guy who makes everybody uneasy because you never know when he's going to randomly body check you into a locker or punch you in arm for no good reason. When I watch an Angle match, I want non stop action, I want people to get thrown on their heads, I want intensity, I want him to pull down his straps and scream like a lunatic, I want him to outwork whoever gets in his way, I want him to go go go go like a god damn machine. And that's exactly what he does." W2BTD Recommended Matches: Kurt Angle vs Steve Austin (WWF SummerSlam, 8/19/2001) Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker (WWE No Way Out, 2/19/2006) Kurt Angle vs Jeff Jarrett (TNA Slammiversary, 6/12/2011) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 67 - Jack Brisco 2006 Ranking: 48 Points: 3431 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 2 # of Ballots: 65 Average Vote: 48.28 High Vote: 6 (John Steffy) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "His singles matches are a technical treat, but his heel work in tags is where he really catches my eye. " Jon Burr "I wish there was more footage but what we have is great." Dave Musgrave "Lack of footage and personal viewing gaps keeps him from being a top 10 contender from the looks of it." Elliott "He had such a classic wrestling look to go along with his skillfulness." Moonsault Marvin "My initial impressions are that Brisco is SAFELY in contention for "best wrestler of the 70s". He's silky smooth, very athletic, great high dropkicks, deep armdrags, fastest figure-four ever, big bumps, terrific at selling, good fire, good timing, great connection with the crowd. He just seems to be everything that you'd want a pro wrestler to be." Jerryvonkramer Recommended Matches: Jack Brisco vs Antonio Inoki (8/5/1971) Jack Brisco vs Jumbo Tsuruta (1/30/1974) Jack Brisco vs Giant Baba (12/5/1974) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 66 - "The Great Muta" Keiji Mutoh 2006 Ranking: 53 Points: 3535 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 2 # of Ballots: 74 Average Vote: 53.31 High Vote: 5 (Chris Powell) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "He had some lows but his highs were so high that I can't help but rate him big." Dave Musgrave "I prefer him as the Great Muta, wandering around and acting weird. His output is very uneven, but he is great when at his best in either guise." Moonsault Marvin "He's the most polarizing guy in the field for me. When I was a kid, him and Lyger absolutely mystified me, and then later on, seeing him make his comeback in 2001 was the craziest thing ever. But man he was a part of some shit stuff, too. Really tough to judge." Tim Livingston Recommended Matches: Great Muta vs Sting (NWA Great American Bash, 7/23/1989) Great Muta vs Hiroshi Hase (NJPW, 12/14/1992) Keiji Mutoh vs Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 6/8/2001) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 65 - Shinjiro Ohtani 2006 Ranking: 27 Points: 3616 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 80 Average Vote: 55.80 High Vote: 21 (GOTNW & ???) Low Vote: 95 Discussion Thread "Ohtani's a tough one, because even his run as an elite jr. heavy was pretty short for a GOAT conversation. His SC placement looks even nuttier now. But God he was good at his best. I'd say his rivalry with Liger produced the best cruiser series in history, and that was just as much Ohtani as Liger." Childs "Ohtani has one of the best stretches a junior ever had from December 1995 to February 1997. I'd actually hear arguments that the Sammy match (1/21/96), the two Lyger matches and the Ultimo match (8/20/96) are the four best junior matches ever." Tim Livingston Recommended Matches: Shinjiro Ohtani vs El Samurai (NJPW, 1/21/1996) Shinjiro Ohtani vs Ultimo Dragon (NJPW, 8/4/1996) Shinjiro Ohtani vs Jushin Liger (NJPW, 2/9/1997) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 64 - Sgt. Slaughter 2006 Ranking: 99 Points: 3768 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 87 Average Vote: 57.69 High Vote: 14 (Kelly Nelson) Low Vote: 96 Discussion Thread "Lunatic bump freak with some of my favorite feuds and big matches." Jon Burr "He was great in both singles and tags in the early 80's and was one of the best in the world at the time. His later days are underrated." Dave Musgrave "Tremendous bumper, tremendous brawler. Classics with Steamboat/Youngblood, all out wars with Backlund, Sheik, Patterson. He had some fun stuff with Hogan in 91 that doesn't get much love. He's still entertaining in the 2000's bumping around like a lunatic for guys half his age." The Chief Recommended Matches: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle vs Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (Cage, NWA Final Conflict, 3/12/1983) Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Boot Camp, WWF, 6/16/1984) Sgt. Slaughter & Crusher Blackwell vs Sheik Adnan Kaissey, King Tonga, & Masked Superstar (Cage, AWA, 4/21/1985) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 63 - Giant Baba 2006 Ranking: 30 Points: 3768 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 1 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 80 Average Vote: 54.10 High Vote: 2 (jackwebb) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "Just very likable. Loves what he is doing in a way I can connect with as a viewer. " jackwebb "One of the most important Japanese wrestlers ever. The founder and first top star of AJPW. He was a great thinking man's wrestler." stunning_grover "Giant Baba had good matches with major wrestlers from around the world in the '60s and '70s, and then had a second career as a fun tag wrestler." Moonsault Marvin "Baba may be the smartest worker of all-time. Not the best, and nowhere near the most athletic. But he was Andre with possibly even better smarts and better longevity even as his body was going through similar problems." PeteF3 Recommended Matches: Giant Baba vs The Destroyer (JWA, 3/5/1969) Giant Baba vs Billy Robinson (AJPW, 7/24/1976) Giant Baba vs Stan Hansen (AJPW, 2/4/1982) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 62 - Kiyoshi Tamura 2006 Ranking: 63 Points: 3880 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 1 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 7 # of Ballots: 55 Average Vote: 31.11 High Vote: 2 Low Vote: 89 Discussion Thread "The best ever if not for the fact that he wrestled less than 130 matches in his career." Elliot "... the way Tamura works that sense of urgency into his matches is so impressive that I think it would be impossible for me not to rate him over Han. I know there are some who will say that what he did against Vader doesn't really matter much as it wasn't really an expression of him doing what made him great, but I strongly disagree with that. The way he worked his flurries, the tenacious nature of his attack, et. are all completely in keeping with what you would expect out of him if he were working v. a shootstyle master. More to the point I can't imagine Han having that match with Vader." Dylan Waco Recommended Matches: Kiyoshi Tamura vs Nobuhiko Takada (UWFI, 2/14/1993) Kiyoshi Tamura vs Volk Han (RINGS, 1/22/1997) Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS, 6/27/1998) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 61 - Bull Nakano 2006 Ranking: 43 Points: 3902 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 2 # of Ballots: 72 Average Vote: 46.81 High Vote: 9 (Bill Thompson) Low Vote: 98 Discussion Thread "The student became the master, as Bull continued Dump Matsumoto's legacy, with an even better persona and vastly better matches. Incredibly consistent in the ring, too." Jon Burr "A monster gaijin who was incredibly athletic as well." Dave Musgrave "Essentially, Bull was great. Within her gender, she's a Top 5 candidate, and surely Top 10. She debuted a tad younger than most, got good as quick as any of them (there's a lovely little match on one of the earlier Classics episodes with I want to say Ogura, maybe for the AJW Title, that's well laid out and it's from about late 85. It's nothing extraordinary, don't get me wrong, but it's the kind of match you see from someone really early in their career and know they're on their way to being rather damn good), and in terms of one person carrying a company in-ring she did a fucking remarkable job from 1990 through to early 92 when the others started picking up. For the same old reasons she has less notable stuff after that, but matches like vs. Masami, vs. Kandori, I wish the 1/94 vs. Toyota was in full... there's no way she's not on my ballot and I'd wager she's one of the AJW workers more likely to appeal to most people on here. Essentially, Bull was fucking great." MJH Recommended Matches: Bull Nakano vs Aja Kong (Cage, AJW, 11/14/1990) Bull Nakano (AJW, 1/23/1991) Bull Nakano vs Devil Masami (JWP, 4/18/1993) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 60 - Volk Han 2006 Ranking: 42 Points: 3913 #1 Votes: 2 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 1 Top 10 Votes: 4 # of Ballots: 68 Average Vote: 44.60 High Vote: 1 (Frankensteiner & ???) Low Vote: 100 Discussion Thread "Unparalleled technical master who just "got it," knew how to use his techniques in a worked setting to maximum effect." #1 voter "I reviewed some of his best matches to make a case for him for the Observer Hall of Fame. It is unbelievable how great he was and I think he is the best submission wrestler I have ever seen. Also, his real name is Magomedhan Amanulajewitsch Gamzatkhanov." Dave Musgrave "Maybe the best pure mat wrestler ever. Definitely the most inspired mat wrestler ever. Most surprisingly charismatic wrestler ever." Elliott "Volk Han worked extremely few matches, but he was the peak of the shoot style genre with his awe-inspiring matwork." Moonsault Marvin "Match for match, the best ever. My favorite worker of my favorite style and as of now, he is very much in the conversation for my #1. It's even more amazing when you take in the fact that he debuted at 30, untrained (an elite grappler though), and was already one of the worlds best." Venegas Recommended Matches: Volk Han vs Akira Maeda (RINGS, 12/7/1991) Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (RINGS, 1/22/1997) Volk Han vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS, 5/28/1998) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 59 - Samoa Joe 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (116) Points: 4098 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 103 Average Vote: 61.21 High Vote: 18 (Woof & mprice) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "Along with Danielson, he is the master of the indy dream scene that has existed post-2000. His style was one of the most original I have seen." Dave Musgrave "During his peak indy/early TNA run he was head and shoulders above everyone else around him, truly a unique attraction in that environment. Great in main events, great in brawls, great as the X Division bully, he has the ability to make something feel like a real war." Jimmy Redman "Went back and watched some select matches from his peak recently, and I really think it's going to be hard for me to leave him off my list. There are guys who I really like and respect being touted on a few years from the 80's, who I think have resumes that are paper thin next to Joe's (to take one example, Magnum T.A.). Watching a match like Joe v. Rhino v. Monty Brown, which is a TNA hardcore match, where I don't even remember the context, it was pretty amazing how exciting the match felt and how much Joe being Joe added to it. I'm not saying it's must see or anything like that, but if a match like this happened on Raw this week people would be falling over themselves to praise it, and I'm not sure it's even a top fifty Joe match from his 3-4 year peak. I have nothing against Lesnar, and Brock is working on a bigger stage, but Joe gave off a similar vibe to me, and had much better matches." Dylan Waco Recommended Matches: Samoa Joe vs CM Punk (ROH, 10/16/2004) Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi (ROH, 10/1/2005) Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA, 12/11/2005) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 58 - Owen Hart 2006 Ranking: 37 Points: 4103 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 2 # of Ballots: 94 Average Vote: 57.35 High Vote: 10 (Mando>Eddie & Scarlet-Left) Low Vote: 98 Discussion Thread "I like all of Owen's work. But, it's his WWF heel run that is the best part of his career." stunning_grover "Owen Hart in 1997 is one of my favorite in-ring wrestlers of all-time. And he was great the rest of his career as well." Dave Musgrave "Although his early work in Japan has aged very poorly, Hart had an excellent run as a heel in the WWF including several classic matches with his brother." Moonsault Marvin "He was quite possibly the best guy in the WWF at constructing TV matches in the mid-90s. It was either him or 1-2-3 Kid. He also has the Bret match at Wrestlemania X to his credit, which is as good as almost any match to happen stateside in the 1990s. There's also the 10-man tag at Canadian Stampede where he played a huge role. The Vader match at One Night Only. The Michaels match at the February 1996 In Your House. The Shamrock matches at Fully Loaded and Summerslam 1998. The Austin match at Summerslam 1997, which was pretty great before Austin was hurt." Loss Recommended Matches: Owen Hart vs Bret Hart (WWF WrestleMania X, 3/20/1994) Hart Foundation vs Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, & Legion of Doom (WWF Canadian Stampede, 7/6/1997) Owen Hart vs Ken Shamrock (Lion's Den, WWF SummerSlam, 8/30/1998) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 57 - "Superstar" Bill Dundee 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (136) Points: 4215 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 87 Average Vote: 52.55 High Vote: 11 (Parties) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "There is only so much you can conclude from watching someone's best stuff and a very small portion of his "other" work. I should probably make an effort to watch all of the Memphis TV at some point because I've really loved what I've seen." GOTNW "Best studio match wrestler ever. Great brawler and mat wrestler." Elliott "Superstar is one of those rare cases where he has had great matches in 5 different decades as he is a timeless worker sure he isn't as "good" as he was 30 years ago but his ring smarts is unquestionable and he can navigate his way around the ring like no other. Dundee & Lawler is one of the most legendary love/hate relationships we have ever seen in wrestling where they had some of the all-time classic singles matches and as a tag team they were just as great." Kris Zellner Recommended Matches: Bill Dundee vs Jerry Lawler (Memphis, 6/6/1983) Bill Dundee vs Jerry Lawler (Memphis, 12/30/1985) Bill Dundee vs Jerry Lawler (Memphis, 7/14/1986) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 56 - Jim Breaks 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (115) Points: 4338 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 7 # of Ballots: 67 Average Vote: 36.28 High Vote: 7 (Matt D) Low Vote: 96 Discussion Thread "I only had a limited sampling of WoS, but he was by far my favourite to watch." MoS "Wish I had watched more Joint Promotions. Breaks is undeniable, but I think there are probably 6-10 guys who should have made my list." djhaigh "The wrestling equivalent to a huge hit of smack right to the brain when you dive into British wrestling, Breaks is the most immediate, universal, revelatory worker ever. He's endlessly entertaining, a born heel with a million tricks, just an awesome character. He should be on top of everyone's list as far as I'm concerned." Jimmy Redman "What a combination of great matwork with over the top crybaby heeling." Moonsault Marvin "There are other workers from Europe worth considering for the top half of the list, but Breaks is a guy I could see in my top twenty. I will grant that a part of this is that his style is schitcky and something that I could easily see working in multiple U.S. territories, but even still the reason Breaks is so great to me is that he so neatly integrates his act into the Brit setting. He is a great grappler, but he's also a great character. In fact his character - the cocky technician who is not as quite as good as he thinks he is and pouts/plays loose with the rules when he's one upped or annoyed - is one that allows him to be entertaining even in shaky matches." Dylan Waco Recommended Matches: Jim Breaks vs Johnny Saint (Joint Promotions, 3/14/1974) Jim Breaks vs Steve Grey (Joint Promotions, 4/19/1978) Jim Breaks vs Young David (Joint Promotions, December 1979) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 55 - Curt Hennig 2006 Ranking: 45 Points: 4624 #1 Votes: 1 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 1 # of Ballots: 100 Average Vote: 55.05 High Vote: 1 (Lisa Lewis) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "He may not have been perfect, but he was definitely great. His AWA work was even better than his WWF work." stunning_grover "I loved his work as Mr. Perfect which some are down on in a modern context. But seeing his AWA work was a revelation. Just an awesome wrestler." Dave Musgrave "Hennig was wrestling's most fun bumper to watch." Moonsault Marvin "I love him in Portland and AWA. The Rose and Bock feuds are two of the best feuds of the 80s. He also has great matches with Wahoo, Lawler, Greg Gagne, and Stan Hansen. Hell, the Hansen match is one of the best matches of the 80s. There's a lot of fun work from him in the WWF, particularly from the Hogan feud, but other than that he dropped off drastically. I do like the Bret matches and his 93 run is pretty solid, but the Curt Hennig of 1982-1988 was gone forever." Exposer Recommended Matches: Curt Hennig vs Stan Hansen (AWA, 2/1/1986) Curt Hennig vs Nick Bockwinkel (AWA, 11/21/1986) Mr. Perfect vs Shawn Michaels (WWF, 3/17/1991) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 54 - Greg "The Hammer" Valentine 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (170) Points: 4691 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 0 Top 10 Votes: 0 # of Ballots: 99 Average Vote: 53.62 High Vote: 13 (Dean Rasmussen) Low Vote: 99 Discussion Thread "Great at getting people out of their comfort zone." Elliott "One of the best American workers during the 1980s. Worked a stiff style." stunning_grover "Valentine has really blown up as a great worker over the years. He's emerged as Backlund's best opponent. Great feud with Piper. His Flair matches are tremendous. Fun matches with Pedro. The crown jewel is his feud with Tito. A good house show run with the Blue Blazer. A lot of good matches with Ronnie Garvin. The Dream Team produced tons of good matches with the Bulldogs. A guy with great story telling and snug work." Shoe Recommended Matches: Greg Valentine vs Bob Backlund (WWF, 2/19/1979) Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper (Dog Collar, NWA Starrcade, 11/24/1983) Greg Valentine vs Ron Garvin (I Quit, WWF Royal Rumble, 1/21/1990) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 53 - Dick Murdoch 2006 Ranking: 51 Points: 4799 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 1 Top 10 Votes: 3 # of Ballots: 92 Average Vote: 49.03 High Vote: 3 (Dean Rasmussen) Low Vote: 97 Discussion Thread "Seemingly could do whatever he liked in the ring and it worked. The guy was damned near a vaudevillian out there, but could also get serious and go with the best of them." Jon Burr "Dick Murdoch was great when he was at his best. I also didn't want Will to be mad at me." Dave Musgrave "Saw his picture in the dictionary under 'wily veteran'." Steven White "Only a lack of footage keeps him from being a top 20 lock for me." Elliott "Murdoch was an incredibly fun brawler that could surprise you with his agility like doing flying headscissors" Moonsault Marvin "Murdoch had everything as a worker. EVERYTHING. Bumping, selling, matwork, good offense, adaptable, and more than consistent enough to make the cut. His 12/76 match with Kox and 6/86 match with Inoki are as different as you can imagine, including Murdoch's role. Both matches rule and Murodoch rules in both of them. DICK MF MURDOCH." Ditch Recommended Matches: Dick Murdoch vs Abdullah the Butcher (NJPW, 7/7/1983) Dick Murdoch vs Butch Reed (Mid South, 9/22/1985) Dick Murdoch vs Barry Windham (Mid South, 7/11/1987) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 52 - "The Dangerous Queen" Akira Hokuto 2006 Ranking: 15 Points: 4850 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: 1 Top 10 Votes: 5 # of Ballots: 76 Average Vote: 37.45 High Vote: 3 (Badlittlekitten) Low Vote: 97 Discussion Thread "Maybe the best peak ever and a ridiculously awesome seller and storyteller. Could have been even higher with better health." Jon Burr "Hokuto had one of the highest peaks in wrestling history, but a super short prime. At the height of her powers, she could draw the viewer in emotionally like few before or after her." Moonsault Marvin "While the length of time of her best work is short, the sheer volume within that time is something else. Arguably the best woman's match ever, arguably a Top 5 women's tag match ever (Although as time goes on, I have the Queendom tag at #2 behind only the Dream Rush tag), great work in the '93 Grand Prix, great work in the '92 TLTB...for a good three year span, and especially in 1993, she might have been the best wrestler on the planet and she worked hurt for a good amount of time. She also was the antithesis of the style that Toyota championed, which makes her even better in my book. Knew how to tell a story better than any other wrestler at the time, maybe save Stan Hansen, who had major feathers in his cap with Kawada and Kobashi in 1993." Tim Livingston Recommended Matches: Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori (AJW, 4/2/1993) Akira Hokuto & Shinobu Kandori vs Aja Kong & Bull Nakano (AJW, 2/17/1994) Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota (AJW, 9/2/1995) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 51 - Andre the Giant 2006 Ranking: honourable mention (164) Points: 4971 #1 Votes: 0 #2 Votes: 0 #3 Votes: Top 10 Votes: 7 # of Ballots: 105 Average Vote: 53.81 High Vote: 5 (Mando>Eddie) Low Vote: 100 Discussion Thread "I am all in on Andre. Footage issues aren't something I care about if you can paint a picture with what's there, and what's there shows just how great Andre was at the pro wrestling. Glimpses of him in his physical prime show a force of nature. He is literally other worldly in the way he looks and moves and wrestles. The way he throws his body around is just absurd for a guy his size. So many giants of vaguely comparable size come off as lumbering oafs. They're hard to knock down, but in turn they don't really offer up much offense, because they're so slow and cumbersome. But with Andre, when he goes on the attack he gives the impression that he could kill someone without even realising it. He seems so powerful. I can remember watching him do the over-the-shoulder armbreaker on Hansen in their match, and Andre's hands take up like Stan's whole arm, and it looks like Andre could snap it in half at any moment if he so chose. And Stan is a big guy. His late 80s WWF career is so great at showing just how smart he was, and just how effective he was at getting the most out of his limited physical ability. I'm such a big fan of this run. The Hogan match is legitimately great in my eyes, just a perfect spectacle match. Andre is so awesome in the first Survivor Series main event, just being a total prick, and generally in this whole run Andre is a great character, heeling it up all over the place. He uses that, his aura and some well-timed shots to create some entertaining matches even when he could barely walk around. Seeing what he can do in 1990 shows just how much this is a mental game, and when you look at guys who have more physical tools than almost anyone on earth and do absolutely nothing compelling with them...another argument perhaps, but it shows you just how much Andre "got it" and how complete a wrestler he was. Andre vs Stan is one of my favourite ever matches. I think he's the best big man ever. " Jimmy Redman "Andre had tremendous size, but his great facial expressions make him a great wrestler." Moonsault Marvin Recommended Matches: Monster Roussimoff vs Strong Kobayashi (IWE, 5/6/1972) Andre the Giant vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 9/23/1981) Andre the Giant vs Killer Khan (NJPW, 4/1/1982) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.00c68798e2502c92a7da65280cf7def4.jpg)
Recommended Posts